Riddle Me This
by ante.albus
Summary: This is a story about Tom Riddle in the years of the Mauraders. He has kidnapped a girl from Hogwarts as leverage against Dumbledore, but as time progresses he comes to view her as more than simply an asset...
1. Captured

**Author's Note:**_ This story was originally written with pictures of the characters; hence, there is not much character description. If you'd like more of a sense of what the charries look like, you may use the link in my profile._

**Disclaimer:** _JKR's characters are not mine._

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**S**he woke in a large, unfamiliar bed beneath layers of rich, silken sheets and a heavy, emerald duvet. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she took in her surroundings: a large, lavishly furnished room with towering mahogany bookshelves, a matching desk, and a chaise in the same shade of green as the opulent hangings on the canopy bed. She sat up slowly, still wondering why her room resembled a Slytherin dorm instead of a Gryffindor's, as it should have been. Cautiously, she swung her feet out and placed them on an ornately woven rug of green and silver, which sported a design of intertwining serpents. After rising to her feet and glancing around the room once more, she strode to the nearest window and pulled back the curtain to see if the view offered any clue to her strange whereabouts. Unfortunately, it only revealed that she was in a very high tower, and that the grounds were vast, with beautiful gardens and magnificent forests. She saw no sign of life, however, so she turned back to her quarters.

There was an open door-frame which she presumed led to a bathroom and a set of mahogany double-doors with silver, serpent-shaped handles. She instinctively knew that they would not yield to her touch,but she knew she had to test them anyway. Her suspicion was soon proven, and she wandered back over to the bed with a perplexed, forlorn expression.

She was just about to go explore the bathroom when there came an abrupt knock at the door.

"Hello?" she queried softly.

The click of the lock was followed by the turning of the silver handle and the slow opening of the heavy doors, revealing a tall, slim figure dressed in black robes. As he strode into the room, the doors shut on their own behind him, and Selene let out a terrified gasp.

Tom Riddle was standing in the middle of the room, gazing at her with a cold, bemused expression.

At once, the memory of the previous day erupted in her mind. She, James and Remus had been hunting for Sirius in the forest… he was gravely injured when they found him… they took him to the hospital wing, yes, there was Madam Pomfrey wondering how in the name of Merlin he could have gotten a wound like that… then, then _he_ had appeared in the doorway… he demanded that Sirius be handed over, but then Dumbledore arrived…

-

_"Good evening, Tom."_

_Riddle's face momentarily betrayed his sudden panic as he turned to face the tall, gray-haired wizard standing in the doorway. Everyone in the room was already breathing a sigh of relief, certain that the Dark Wizard was now done for. But Tom was a mastermind of trickery; he would not fall so easily._

_"That is no longer my name, old man," he said in a voice that could have frozen water. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm rather in a rush."_

_He took a step towards Sirius's bed._

_"I do not advise you to move any closer, Tom."_

_Dumbledore's wand was suddenly pointed at Riddle. His blue eyes were calm, but his voice had such an authoritative tone that the Dark Lord had no choice but to halt in his tracks. He threw the headmaster a casually cruel sneer and paused for a moment. His cold brown eyes then traveled nonchalantly around the room, seeming to light on nothing in particular. But suddenly, before anyone knew what was happening, he was reaching out and grabbing Selene by the arm, now holding her at wandpoint._

_"Step aside, old man," he hissed venomously. "…unless you wish to see her die."_

_Madam Pomfrey's eyes were wide with fright, and Remus looked ghastly pale. James had whipped out his wand and was moving to curse the Dark Lord, but Dumbledore's voice flashed warningly._

_"Stay where you are!" he bellowed at James. Then, turning his tranquil blue eyes upon Tom, he inclined his head slightly and stepped aside from the door, giving Tom a clear exit. The dark haired wizard gave him a cold stare and quickly strode from the room with an unconscious Selene in tow._

-

She gulped as the memories flooded back and instinctively scurried farther back on the bed, causing him to laugh mercilessly.

"Selene," he said with a devilish smile, "you look as though you've seen a monster."

His lips widened sardonically at his own joke before his expression fell into a sort of stony coolness and he continued:

"Breakfast is at ten o'clock. I do not advise being late."

He spun on his heel and was nearly out the door when he suddenly turned back around and flicked his wand at the bed. A set of green robes appeared.

"Your attire, Milady," he said with an impish half-smile as he closed the double-doors.


	2. Breakfast in the Tower

A small tear trickled down her cheek as she picked up the extraordinarily soft robes, which were the same emerald hue as the bed and the curtains. But she refused to let herself cry, knowing that it would take all her strength to make it through whatever the future held for her.

She dressed quickly, then meandered into the adjoining room in hopes of finding a hairbrush. Instead, what she found was the most magnificent bathroom she had ever imagined. The bathtub was like a fountain; the water for the sink poured magically from the air. Anything she could have ever wanted – combs, makeup, perfumes, soaps, fluffy towels, ornate mirrors – everything was right before her eyes. It was luxury as she had never imagined.

Once she had double-checked her appearance in a full length mirror (which informed her that she looked ravishing), she strode back out into the bedroom and tentatively approached the double doors. She figured that if she was expected somewhere else in the castle, the doors would have to open, so she put her hand on the knob, took a deep breath, and let out a great sigh of relief when the handle turned beneath her palm.

However, upon stepping out into the hallway, she found that she was quite lost. She looked up and down the hall, pondering which way to go. An ancient grandfather-clock at the end of the corridor abruptly said "9:20" in a wheezy voice. She was startled at first by this unexpected sound, but as she moved closer she realized that she was rather relieved, knowing that there were other 'entities', at least, living in the house. With as pleasant a smile as she could manage, she approached the old clock and, in a small voice, began:

"Excuse me but, do you know where I could find—"

"The breakfast room?" it replied in a raspy tone, coughing a bit before continuing. "Take the stairs at the end of this hall down to the foyer – it's the main staircase so you shan't miss it. Walk straight ahead and take your first left; it should be a long stone corridor much like this one. Just follow the torches 'til you reach a set of spiral stairs. Those will take you up to the East Tower."

It coughed again as she nodded her understanding, then added:

"Normally you'd have to practically be _royalty _to warrant a breakfast in there. But I guess you must be close since you're sleeping in the Slytherin Suite. That's a very high honor you know."

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head slightly, replying distantly: "No, no, I didn't know."

"Well," the clocked wheezed, "you've got nigh thirty minutes before you're expected. Best not count on these old hands to be most accurate, I'm afraid I've gone a bit arthritic I my old age, but I daresay you've enough time for some exploring."

He winked, then his face slowly faded, leaving nothing but the hands of the clock and the peeling gold numbers. She was almost astonished at this miraculous encounter, but not quite – after all, she had lived in the magical world all her life and had seen many strange things in her day.

She decided to follow his advice and traipsed about the corridor where her room was located. Most of the other rooms were bedrooms, each in a different color, and none so lavish as her own. Peacock blues and rich purples, sunshine yellows and pure snow whites. Every detail was seen to; every space had a certain aura which was carefully planned and executed. Everything was undoubtedly expensive, and she was almost certain that everything was touched by magic.

When she had exhausted all the doors in the hall, she decided it was probably time to make her way to the East Tower. She followed the directions flawlessly and soon arrived at an engraved wooden door with gold inlay. The clock had clearly been right in saying that this was an exclusive room. She had no idea what time it was, but she figured it was better early than late, so she raised her hand to knock – but before her knuckles touched the wood, the door slowly swung open.

"Come in."

She mentally shuddered at the sound of his voice, but kept her resolve and strode through the door. The sight on the other side of the portal took her breath away. A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling of the round room, whose walls were made entirely of glass, furnishing a perfect view of the estate. Rose petals covered the stone floor; clear fountains were floating in the air with water tumbling over itself in beautiful, intricate designs. She gazed in amazement: how could someone so evil have a room so divine?

Tom stood from his seat at the crystal-set table and pulled out Selene's chair, gesturing that she sit down. He scooted the chair back in as she complied, then re-took his own seat and snapped his fingers. Food instantly appeared: crepes with Nutella and fresh fruit on her own plate, waffles with strawberries and whipped cream on his. She blinked, then shook her head. This was exactly what she had been craving; she didn't even i_know_/i she'd been craving it. How did he know, then?

"Magic," he said, answering her unspoken thoughts. He laughed slightly at her expression, then added: "Don't worry; I can't read your mind. Only your face. The charms on this room and my house-elves do the rest."

She nodded slightly in comprehension, feeling her heart sink a bit. Riddle had to be a very skilled wizard if he could perform spells like a Desire Charm, which could create someone's deepest desire based on the caster's selected category, e.g. food. Her hopes of escaping steadily sank.

"So dismal," he said quietly. "Is it not what you wanted?"

She shook her head and replied: "It's precisely what I wanted."

"Ah," he rejoined, "don't you hate it when that happens."

Selene felt hot tears sting the corners of her eyes. _I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry…_

Riddle took a bite of his waffle, then sat back and studied her over the tips of his fingers, which were pressed together. After a moment, he said:

"While you are here, there are a few things you should know."

He paused, as if for theatrical emphasis, then continued:

"Foremost, you are answerable to me and to me alone. You are allowed anywhere in the castle and anywhere on my grounds. You will have no duties other than being available when I call for you. You can take your meals whenever you like, unless I request your presence, and all other times are free for your disposal. If there is anything you want, you need only ask me. Depending on the nature of the request, I may or may not fulfill it."

"Will you free me?" she asked softly.

His sighed and gazed at her intently before replying.

"I am currently in negotiations," he said with a light vein of warmth detectable in his voice. "You will be freed as soon as they come to a satisfactory conclusion."

He cut another bit of waffle with his fork.

"…but don't expect that to happen any time soon" he added before popping the last piece of waffle into his mouth.


	3. Tom's Study

Selene spent the next few days exploring the vast castle. Rain kept her indoors, but the corridors were quite enough to occupy her grieving heart and wandering mind. She missed James and Remus of course, but Sirius particularly. Every hour that passed made the memory of his kiss that much harder to feel on her lips. But she knew that if she was to endure her captivity, she had to blockade that part of her mind. She had to forget, if she wanted to keep on going.

Within a week, she knew Riddle's Manor better than Hogwarts, so she began to explore the grounds, which were spacious, lush, and breathtakingly beautiful. His gardens rivaled Versailles, and his forest was mysterious, yet welcoming – not terrifying, like the Forbidden Forest of the school. He owned a small lake, and a quaint rowboat which she admired but never used, for she was rather afraid of falling in. Flowers bloomed and scented the air – roses, so many roses of every colour imaginable. And she often found vases of those delicate blossoms in her bedroom.

And so she passed her days for two whole weeks, wandering through rooms, at leisure to do as she pleased. She ate what she wanted whenever she wanted it; she had splendid libraries available to her whim. Book after book she devoured, for there was little else to do. Occasionally, she searched the forests for a unicorn, because they often let her ride them and that always gave her a great thrill, but some days there were none to be found, and some days even unicorns seemed dull.

She had every amenity available to her, every comfort in the world. But she was lonely. Desperately lonely. At night, she still wept for her lost love, dreaming that one day he would come and rescue her. Deep down, though, she knew that no one could save her from Lord Voldemort. She knew that she was truly alone.

-

One day, Selene was reading _Lolita_ and listening to Maroon 5 in her room when a knock at the door abruptly startled her.

"It's open," she called, setting her book down in her lap.

The left door swung ajar and a very cautious house-elf peeped through.

"Beggin' your pardon, miss," it began shakily, "but Master just finished his meeting with Mssr Karenin, and he is very, _very_ upset… we are finding no way to please him... we are afraid Master may hurt himself."

Selene read this as "we are afraid Master may hurt _us,_" but she nodded as the elf continued:

"We are wondering, miss, if you could use your powers to keep him from harm… he is always happier when you are there… we have never seen him so happy before you came."

Her eyes were round and glassy as she whispered: "Please."

Selene was slightly dumbstruck, but she nodded again and tossed her book aside. Powers? She had no idea what this elf was deluding herself with, but Selene would try nonetheless. She couldn't stand around and let Riddle hurt innocent elves.

At that point, her stereo played the line "you're just/ an innocent/ a helpless victim of a spider's web."

She wondered if it magically knew which line in the CD would precisely fit the moment, but decided to mull over that later. Throwing on a set of rich purple robes and magically applying a touch of makeup, she gave her hair a toss and nodded to the house-elf, who hurriedly led her to Tom's most private study.

Selene had only been in this room twice, but it was one of her favorites because of the unbelievable number of books. They lined every single wall, ceiling to floor, and every bit of woodwork was intricately detailed. It was so _grand, _just as she always imagined the perfect study.

But at the moment, the racket in this room would have made it anything but a perfect study. As Selene cautiously pushed through the door and the house-elf scuttled away, she heard a soft explosion and vaguely wondered what the hell she was doing, walking into the dragon's lair. But the image of the house-elf's eyes compelled her to step inside, where she found Tom blasting hexes left and right.

When he saw her, he immediately lowered his wand and narrowed his eyes.

"This is not a good time," he said stonily. "If it is not important, I suggest you leave."

She took a few steps into the room, flicking her eyes at him, then letting her gaze wander over the vast bookshelves as she traced her fingers along the spines which lined the nearest wall.

"What's wrong?" she asked after a few minutes, still looking everywhere except at him and attempting to give her voice an inflection of indifference but unsure if she entirely succeeded.

His face betrayed a flicker of surprise, but anger still blazed in his shadowy brown orbs. He stood in silence for a moment, contemplating, running over his situation, but then shook his head and strode to his writing table.

"It's nothing," he said apathetically as he took a seat at the desk with his back turned to her. "Go to bed."

She blinked a couple times, turning to watch him curiously. Somewhere inside her, she felt a twinge of sympathy for him. She felt a desire to… comfort him. At first, the thought so repulsed her that she wondered if he had somehow poisoned her mind. Then she wondered if perhaps she was so lonely that even the worst company seemed appealing to her. But then it crossed her mind that she might actually like him. A little, at least. After all, he had been relatively nice to her, considering she was his prisoner and he could theoretically do whatever he wanted.

After a few moments, she strode over to him and slid her hands down onto his chest while resting her chin lightly on his shoulder.

"What's wrong," she repeated softly.

He reacted as if a bolt of electricity had just shot through his body, but he remained stock-still. For several minutes, he simply sat there, but she waited, knowing instinctively that he would speak.

At length, with his eyes still staring straight ahead, he replied in a voice just above a whisper:

"I wanted to buy something from Karenin which he told me he would sell, but which he now tells me he will not. After he has slept in my house and eaten my food for three days, of course."

She felt his anger beginning to resurge in his tensed muscles and saw his knuckles turning white as he gripped the arms of his chair, so she nuzzled his neck softly and asked:

"Why won't he sell it?"

She felt him sigh as his body let out a bit of its tension.

"Karenin possesses a unique crystal – so unique that it is the only one of its kind. This crystal is imperative to… my studies. But Karenin seems to think that my studies don't merit the use of the crystal."

"The Crystal of the Ages," she said, as if to herself.

He turned his head in surprise and she pulled back a few inches. Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Tom nodded.

"Yes, the Crystal of the Ages. I must conquer time before I can conquer—"

He broke off, looking like a kid who has just spilled too much of a secret he's just remembered he needed to keep quiet about. Selene was much too intrigued now though.

"What? Conquer what?" she asked inquisitively.

"Nothing. You should be asleep."

She gave a half-grin, and her eyes glittered mischievously.

"Perhaps – but then I wouldn't be with you."

She tilted her head and surveyed him for a moment, then said:

"Death."

He looked at her in bewilderment.

"What?"

"Death. You were going to say 'death,' weren't you. You have to conquer time before you can conquer death."

He couldn't help himself. A grin spread across his lips.

"Next time I kidnap someone, I'm going to have to make sure they're not half as smart as you."

She giggled and retorted playfully"I think that means that even the trolls are now safe."

With a deep sigh he shook his head, resuming his solemn tone.

"Far from it, my dear. Far from it."


	4. Meet the Minions

The next morning, Selene woke with a beaming smile on her face that would have rivaled the sun itself, had it been shining. The sky was a monotonous shade of gloomy gray and seemed lower than normal, as if the misty clouds were pressing down towards the earth. Normally, such weather would have put Selene in a downright miserable mood, but today she felt as if she were floating. She wasn't even sure why exactly, just that she felt she wasn't so very alone in the castle anymore. It's a good feeling, being accepted. 

She donned a set of navy blue robes and levitated her stereo so that it could accompany her down to breakfast. She hadn't changed the CD for a week, but that didn't bother her – Maroon 5 was one of her favorite wizarding bands. After briefly combing her hair and brushing her teeth, she deemed herself presentable and ambled off down to the East Hall, where the sun was always rising through the windows no matter what the weather outdoors.

As she neared the breakfast area – with her stereo trailing along behind her – she heard the sound of voices coming from the main living room, which was situated just off to the left of the grand staircase. This unexpected sound surprised her, for Tom usually met with his acquaintances in secluded rooms where they wouldn't be overheard. Curiosity of course got the best of her, so she quickly descended the staircase and strode towards the elegant sitting room, not even bothering to turn off her music since she was sure they had already heard her coming and any attempt to sneak up on them would be futile.

When she arrived at the wide doorway, her eyes were startled by the sight of Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange sitting in high-backed emerald-upholstered armchairs. She knew them from Hogwarts, of course, as they had been a few years ahead of her, but she couldn't understand what Tom could want with two recently graduated wizards who only had jobs because they were purebloods.

"What is that infernal racket?" Malfoy asked arrogantly.

Selene glanced at Tom a bit sheepishly, as if to apologize for playing music when he had company, but he simply smiled slightly and said:

"Why, Lucius, where have you been? Maroon 5 is only the most popular wizarding band in England – I would have expected you to be a bit more informed."

Selene beamed inwardly and added, "Yes, they're actually thinking of going Muggle, but I hope they don't. No one ever makes good music in the Muggle world."

Lucius looked as if he'd been slapped in the face and kept silent. Rodolphus gave a small chuckle while Selene switched off the music, then asked:

"Who are you, anyway?"

Selene turned back to them and glanced at Tom, unsure of how he wanted to handle the situation. She didn't really know if he wanted other people to be aware of her presence, and she wasn't sure if she wanted them to be either. Fortunately, Tom gracefully stepped in and smoothed everything over:

"Of course, how impolite of me – this is Selene, a guest of mine. Selene, this is Lucius Malfoy" –he gestured at the platinum blonde-haired wizard– "and Rodolphus Lestrange," he said, acknowledging the other, darker-haired man.

Selene nodded politely to them, then turned to Tom.

"I should be off to breakfast," she said in a careful tone, as if to test whether she should go.

"You're welcome to stay," he replied casually, "if you like."

Though his face appeared indifferent, their eyes were connected, and she could see that he was asking her to hang around. She couldn't even begin to think why, but she nodded and took a seat in the chair beside his.

As she took her seat, she caught the questioning expressions on the other two young wizards' faces. Tom must have noticed too, for he said:

"Treat her as one of us."

And their countenances immediately relaxed. Selene wasn't sure what "us" meant, but she had an uneasy feeling that she wouldn't exactly like the answer when she found out.

"Well, like Rodolphus was saying, it's one thing for nine or ten of us to storm Karenin's house and take it by force… it's quite another for the two of us to take it by stealth."

"Not really. It's the same objective."

"Yes, but, if we're caught…"

"You won't be caught. Part of the reason we have to steal it is making sure the blame doesn't fall on us. If we storm Karenin's house, it's just as good as passing out fliers that say 'Join the Death Eaters. We have cookies.'"

"Wait, we have cookies?"

Tom threw Rodolphus a particularly icy glare, and the black-haired wizard immediately fell silent.

"…as I was saying, it is not yet time to reveal ourselves. We have only just begun to gather followers… it will take some time to establish their loyalties."

He narrowed his eyes, as if to say, "and I haven't entirely established yours." Lucius shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"At any rate," Tom continued, "Karenin has plenty of enemies. It won't be hard to frame someone else—"

"—but he knows you wanted to buy it," interjected Selene.

"True, but as of now, no one sees me as a big enough threat to pull something like this off. Karenin may point the finger, but the Ministry will just think he's a crazy old loon. And, really, they wouldn't be far off."

Selene giggled, but inside the foreboding feeling was growing stronger and stronger.

"…and besides, Karenin probably won't even realize it's gone. We're going to replace it with a near-perfect replica… the crystal will _look _the same, but if he ever tries to use it…"

Tom grinned maliciously.

"Maybe he'll just think it lost its powers," Rodolphus suggested.

"Oh don't be daft," Selene retorted hotly, before she could think to stop herself. When she realized that she had actually said this outloud, she blushed slightly and looked down at the ground, adding, "I mean, everyone knows the crystal can't lose its power."

"Clearly not everyone," Lucius said sardonically.

Selene darted her eyes fiercely at Lucius, hating that she had habilitated his petty attempts to one-up Rodolphus. Those two seemed to be in a constant competition tocome offbetter than the other. And they weren't exactly nice about it.

Tom cleared his throat. "If you kids are finished arguing, I would like to eat some breakfast before the seventh seal is broken."

Rodolphus looked much like a wounded puppy, and even Lucius's smug smirk was quickly wiped off his face. Selene, however, smiled faintly and said:

"Before we see the black horse, you mean."

Tom grinned as he rose to his feet. "Yes, it might well do to dine before the world-wide famine of the Apocalypse arrives."

He quickly showed Lucius and Rodolphus to the door while Selene ambled towards the breakfast room. There were so many thoughts running through her mind – she couldn't even begin to get them straight. She knew that this plot must be anything but good, and the mention of the term "Death Eater" had frightened her severely. More than anything, she wished she could tell Dumbledore, because she had a sense that this could only be leading to trouble.

At least now she knew why she had that foreboding feeling.


	5. I thought you ought to know

Tom soon appeared in the breakfast room and beckoned to one of the house-elves who were bustling about. He asked it to bring a plate of French toast, and as it scurried away, he strode over to Selene and took a seat beside her. He sat in silence for a few minutes, watching her eat her sliced mango with a certain poise that few could master while consuming such juicy, messy foods. He often did this, just watched her, as if she were a mildly amusing television program. At length, however, he said:

"I thought you ought to know."

She glanced up at him for the first time since he had entered.

"Know?" she queried.

"About what's going on. The plan. My work. Everything."

She took a slow bite and chewed thoughtfully, then said"I still don't know your entire plan. Your ultimate plan."

"Well, maybe I don't either."

"Yes you do," she retorted. "Of course you do. You've got a higher goal than some old man's crystal. And I have a hunch what it might be."

"Oh?" he replied in a slightly mocking tone. "Do share with the rest of the class."

She threw him a dark look. "Immortality. And maybe world domination while you're at it."

He laughed slightly. "Oh Selene, you've found me out," he said sarcastically. "Once again I am foiled by the all-knowing Moon Goddess."

Her eyes narrowed at his pun on her name, which she shared with the Roman deity of the moon.

"I'm serious," she said quietly.

Tom remained silent for a few moments. He seemed to be deliberating, for there was a look of heavy consternation on his handsome face. After a few intense seconds, he said:

"So am I."

The weight of this statement hit Selene like a Stunner to the chest. She could almost feel the air leaving her lungs, like steadily deflating balloons. She hadn't even really believed her guess; it was just the worst thing she could think of. She certainly hadn't expected it to be _right_. A look of mingled fear and helplessness stole over her features as she wildly searched Tom's face for a sign that he was lying. But she knew he wasn't. She knew that things were truly a disaster.

Tom sensed her agitation and reached over to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"My dear, you have nothing to worry about," he said gently. "Don't let this bother you."

She was trembling like a leaf, and at his touch she felt as though she might explode into a thousand pieces. Her eyes stung fiercely as she gazed at him.

"Why?" she asked in a trembling whisper.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Why don't I want to die? Do I really need to answer that?"

"No. Why do you want to be Minister?"

"Minister?" He shook his head, implying that she clearly didn't know everything yet, then glanced out the window. "Why don't we go for a stroll?"

She flicked her eyes at the untouched plate of toast before him.

"You haven't eaten yet."

"I can wait. Come on."

He stood and offered his hand, which she took politely as she rose from her chair. Rather than let her hand go, however, he held on to it and proceeded to lead her towards one of his favorite gardens. Several minutes later, they were walking arm-in-arm past flowering rose-bushes while Tom explained why Lord Voldemort should preside over the entire wizarding community.


	6. The Kiss

When Selene entered her room later that day, she finally let her mask of composure fall. She shut her double doors, strode to the plush, green chaise, and simply sank down in a shaking, sobbing heap. She cried for the friends she missed, for the fun she was sure she was missing – the pranks and the laughter, the midnight escapades and the class-skiving stunts. She cried for the people who were surely crying for her, the ones she would have died for if it meant saving them from the smallest pain. She cried for herself, too, for the girl who was kept in a lonely cage, isolated from the people she loved. She was missing out on her precious time at Hogwarts, little of which now remained; her life was steadily wasting away beneath a suffocating bell jar.

And the worst part of it was, she didn't even know if she would _ever _go back.

At first, she had figured that Riddle would demand something of Dumbledore, and they would come to some agreement, or Dumbledore would give in, or Riddle would, or _something,_ and then she would be able to return. But that had been a month ago. And her hope was slowly fading.

She thought she was used to her new life. She thought that she had accepted it by now, that she could deal with it and persevere. But that had been when she thought it was all only temporary. Without her hope, life was slowly becoming unlivable.

-

Tom could hear her sobbing.

He was standing outside her door, frozen by the foreign sound and the strange emotions it evoked in him. A few minutes after she had departed, he had followed her up to clarify some point or another – he forgot now, it seemed so trivial – but before he could knock on the door, that frightening sound had met his ears and he had shrunk back, as if bitten by a snake. Crying wasn't an entirely new encounter; he had heard men cry while pleading for their lives before. But he had never known someone to pretend to be alright and then go cry where they thought no one else could hear. It shocked him so much that he was quite at a loss of what to do.

He tried to think of why she might be crying – beyond the most obvious reasons of course. Sure, being held prisoner against one's will was probably not a pleasant experience, but he must have said _something_ to trigger this onslaught of tears. The morning's conversation re-played in his mind… they had walked in silence for quite some time, he picked a white rose for her, she tucked it behind her ear… he told her that he felt the current administration was doing a poor job, that their Muggle-Wizard relations were abysmal, their global policy a joke, their law-enforcement non-existent, their Minister a sorry excuse for a leader. He had made a persuasive, eloquent speech that probably would have convinced most anybody that the Ministry was a terrible failure – and the funny thing was, it wasn't even his real reason.

The true motive behind his plans was, of course, ridding the wizarding world of impurities. However, he neglected to mention this small detail to Selene, figuring that she would utterly loath him if she ever discovered his true intentions. The last thing in the world that Tom wanted was for Selene to leave his home. Dumbledore had already consented to Tom's demands, but Tom kept adding more; he was now keeping the girl purely on the basis of his own desire. It was dangerous, he knew, for Dumbledore would soon discover that Tom's increasing demands weren't what he actually wanted – if he hadn't already. But all this was, naturally, kept secret from Selene.

And so, Tom simply couldn't see what he had said to make her so fraught with grief. She didn't know half the things she should _really_ be crying about, and if she was crying about her captivity, well, why now?

There was only one way to find out.

He turned the silver-serpent-handle with a slow, deliberate motion and cautiously opened one of the double doors. As he stepped inside, he saw that Selene had turned away from him and was hastily wiping her eyes. His heart gave a sort of pang at the sight of her, as if it momentarily felt her pain and wanted to soothe her. With a look of concern on his face (something quite unnatural for him, let me assure you), he strode over to the emerald half-couch and carefully sat down beside her.

"I'm fine," she said, staring down at her hands, which were clasped awkwardly in her lap.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "This is fine? I'd sure hate to ever see you upset."

"I'm _fine,_" she repeated firmly.

"You're lying" he said softly.

"So are you!" she retorted. "What, the rules don't apply to you or something?"

Tom frowned slightly. "What am I lying about?"

"Oh please! That speech of yours was _complete _bullshit! Did you honestly think I'd believe all that? Like the Daily Prophet hasn't been printing that for ages now! You were just parroting their stupid reporters, and I for one thought you were a bit smarter than some idiotic wizards with a bunch of Quick Quotes Quills and an agenda to make a profit!"

"Touché."

Selene's emotions had been rising in an angry surge, but at his reply, she sat back, slightly dumbstruck. Had he really just calmly taken all that? Had he just _admitted_ to it? That man never ceased to confound her.

Tom sighed. "I suppose now you want me to tell you that you're brilliant and proceed to explain 'the truth' behind my cause."

"I could do without the former."

"Too bad. The former is all you can get."

"You won't tell me?"

"First of all, you need to stop thinking of this as 'world domination.' You've been reading too much of the Evil Overlord Handbook. I don't want to _rule_ the world. I just want to implement certain… designs. And second of all, no, I won't tell you."

Selene pondered for a moment. "Would you tell me if I became a Death Eater?"

"Yes."

"Will you let me become a Death Eater?"

"No."

She smiled faintly, then stuck out her tongue like a defiant six-year-old and said"Well I don't want to join your silly little club anyway. I'll make my own club. So there."

He chuckled. "I guess this means I'm not invited to your birthday party."

Her eyes glinted impishly. "We'll see."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Selene spoke up again.

"Tom?" she said.

"Hm?"

"If I ask you something, will you promise to answer truthfully?"

"I promise I'll answer truthfully if I deem the question answerable."

"Are you ever going to let me go home?"

Tom turned and looked at her with his intense, dark brown eyes. In some place deep within him (his Grinch-sized heart, perhaps?), he knew that he could not keep her forever. After pausing for a moment, he looked away towards the window and said:

"Yes."

He was suddenly startled by the touch of her arms being thrown around his neck and her face being buried in his shoulder.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou," she said into his shirt, which muffled the words slightly.

It was as if Tom had just said Christmas was coming early, or Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup, or something else so exciting that it made Selene as happy as he'd seen her in a very long time.

After a few seconds, she pulled up slightly and asked:

"Will you return me before the end of term?"

"I'll try."

"Promise. Promise that you will."

Tom sighed. "Alright. I promise that you will be back before the end of term."

"Before the end of my _sixth year term,_" she added.

"Before the end of your sixth year term."

As soon as he had spoken these words, he abruptly felt a pair of soft, supple lips pressing against his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, wondering what in the name of Merlin had possessed her to do such a thing. In all her time there, Tom had always made sure that he never kissed her mouth. He often kissed her hand, sometimes the top of her head, once even her shoulder, but never, _never_ on her mouth. He wasn't entirely sure why, except that, for some reason, he was afraid it went past the line of 'affectionate gestures' and into the realm of 'sexual pursuit'. He was afraid that if he truly kissed her, he would never be able to stop.

But now he was in quite a predicament. _She _was kissing _him,_ and rather vigorously too. He tried to summon up the willpower to push her away, but it just wouldn't come. Probably because he didn't really want it to.

Though he knew that he shouldn't, though all of his logic was telling him to stop and run for his life, he placed his hands lightly on her waist and began to kiss her back.

Selene was so thrilled, so excited by the thought of going back that she simply couldn't contain all of her delight. It made no sense – he hadn't told her she was going home _now_, or even tomorrow. He was the one who kidnapped her in the first place, and yet, she felt this incredible surge of affection for him. Almost like it had always been there, lying dormant, waiting for the moment to rise. And then she had looked at his strikingly handsome face, with those mysterious dark eyes and those cheekbones sharp enough to cut your heartstrings on. And she had kissed him. Perhaps because she now had hope, she could finally see that he was the only person in the world who seemed to care about her the way he did. Sirius had always been good to her, but he had never shown the same kind of devotion, the same degree of affection. Tom made her feel like the goddess of her namesake. And she loved him for that.

She loved him.

She was startled at first when he began to kiss her back, but only for a moment. She moved even closer to him, and ran one hand up into his silken mahogany hair, entwining the strands with her fingers. Though the thought seemed traitorous, she couldn't help but think that he was a damn good kisser. Calculating and meticulous, yet passionate and intense. Everyone else seemed to pale in comparison.

_'I must be crazy,' Selene thought. 'But crazy sure feels good.'_


	7. Mission Accomplished

That afternoon, Selene was lying on her bed and staring up at the vaulted stone ceiling, completely lost in the wanderings of her mind.

_You kissed him, kissed him… that's insane Selene…_

_Is it though? Maybe everyone else is just insane… how can it be wrong if it felt right?_

_He's old Selene._

_But he doesn't look a day past twenty-five! And even if he is older… he's so… I don't know. Witty and fun and intelligent and beautiful and charming…_

…_not to mention evil, conniving, merciless…_

_You don't know that… he's never been cruel to me… maybe that's just a reputation..._

_Reputations are usually based on fact dearie._

_Maybe… maybe not… but what does it matter? I can't help how I feel… I want him to like me… I want him to care… god, when his arms are around me… you can't deny that feels good…_

_-_

While Selene was musing in her room, Tom was sitting at his desk under the pretense of working. In reality, he was merely staring at the piles of parchment before him with a blank, pensive expression.

Up to about an hour ago, he had managed to contain his feelings for Selene in a small corner of his mind, securely locked away and heavily guarded. He couldn't afford these so-called "emotions;" they were for the Gryffindors, the weak. He had to stay focused, driven by his ambition, aloof from petty human ties to mortality.

But he quickly realized that he could not simply compartmentalize his sentiments for Selene. She had a way of creeping back into his thoughts when he least expected; often times he felt he should immediately run to check on her, to make sure she was ok. He had no idea why she commanded such authority over his mind, but he couldn't fight it – couldn't fight it, because he didn't _want_ to fight it. It was a tricky cycle, a Catch-22 if you will. He had to want to stop loving her if he was ever going to succeed in stopping, but he would never want to stop until he actually did.

It displeased him, not being able to control this peculiar part of his life. And it tormented him, because there were times when he felt he simply couldn't control his desire. For though he truly did love her, he was also vaguely attracted, and though he was close to discovering the secret of eternal life, he was still a man. Even monks can be tempted.

But because he loved her, he realized that his corporeal desire would have harmful effects if it were ever brought to fruition, so his sense of duty to protect her kept him from ever acting on this bodily craving. He saw it as a new step towards the immortal life, a new test for his ultimate strength.

But the kiss. The kiss was still there. It stood out conspicuously against everything else, shoving all other thoughts into the background. He didn't know what it meant, what _she_ meant. Nothing made sense anymore.

_What does she want? How should I act around her now? What if she—_

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a timid house-elf abruptly appearing at his side.

"Forgive me, Master, but Messrs Malfoy and Lestrange wish me to announce their presence."

Tom nodded sharply as he snapped back to earth.

"Send them in," he said brusquely.

The house-elf vanished with a soft pop, and a few seconds later, Lucius and Rodolphus entered Tom's study. Their faces were beaming with self-satisfied delight, and Lucius was carrying an airtight glass box with very ornate silver-work at the corners. He approached Tom's desk and bowed deeply.

"My lord," he said, placing the box on Tom's cluttered writing table.

Tom ran an abnormally long index finger along the gilded edge of the box. "Good work," he said coolly. "I suspect there were no difficulties"

"No sir. We Apparated to Karenin's while he was visiting some oriental acquaintances, then took out the guard, walked right in the front door, performed the Replicating Charm, and came straight back."

"Karenin had a guard?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, poor bloke," Rodolphus answered with a laugh. "He'll be lucky to remember his own name."

Tom frowned. Karenin had not had a guard when he had surveyed the old man's house two days ago. Meaning that Karenin either suspected an attempt on the crystal, or Tom had failed to notice this key information.

And the latter was simply not possible.

"You're sure no one else could have seen you. A Spy-Eye Spell, perhaps?"

Lucius shook his head gravely. "We made sure there was no one else around. And there weren't any objects with any sign of having been bewitched to video-tape us… trust us, we checked."

Lucius and Tom exchanged a significant glance. Lucius had understood what the guard meant and had explicitly made certain that their tracks were absolutely covered. This set Tom slightly at ease, but like most power-hungry men, he was rather paranoid, and he still wasn't sure the two fools in front of him had really made a clean sweep of it. But he decided that there was nothing he could do except wait for news of the robbery to reach the Daily Prophet and go from there.

-

He didn't have to wait long. The front-page headline of the next morning's paper was a clear accusation of someone in China, far detached from Tom's circle. He quickly scanned the article, chuckling slightly to himself as he read the guard's account that "…twelve men dressed in black cloaks stormed the house… I took down as many as I could, but they were too many for me…"

_'Well done,' Tom thought. 'Take the glory if you can.'_

"What are you laughing about?" asked a voice which had just entered the breakfast room.

Tom looked up to find Selene taking a seat next to him at the table. He grinned, then passed the Prophet over to her and took a sip of his coffee while she read through the article.

"Ah. I see," she said, looking up from the text when she had finished.

"It is a significant accomplishment for us," Tom said, slowly stirring the black-brown liquid in his serpent-handled mug. "So significant, in fact, that there will be a party tonight in celebration."

"A party?"

"More of a ball, really, but yes."

"Where?"

Tom grinned, and his eyes glittered mischievously.

_"Here?_" Selene asked with a flabbergasted expression.

"Yes, and I was hoping that you might accompany me."

Selene was shocked silent.

"You don't have to, of course," Tom added hastily. "But, you know, if you want."

Selene's stomach gave a flutter, and a wide grin slowly spread across her face.

"But I don't have anything to wear!" she exclaimed in a mock-distressed tone.

Tom gave a half-smile. "That... can be arranged."

"What time does the carriage leave?"

"The pumpkin gets big at seven o'clock, but only the commoners arrive on time, and you are one of the most important guests, so I daresay you should come down no earlier than 7:45."

"7:48 then?"

"As you wish, Milady."

"Well then," she said, rising to her feet. "I suppose I best be getting ready!"

She flashed him a coy smile, then waltzed away with his dark eyes following her out the door while he took another sip of coffee.


End file.
